Into the Mist
by GundamGirl101
Summary: Wander is destined to fight all 16 colossi, to free his love, Mono from her fated death, and live happily ever after. But will it really be that easy?
1. Chapter 1: The White Rose

**The White Rose**

" _Agro_!"

Frantic hoof beats echo throughout the ancient temple and a spry, tall, midnight black mare rounds the corner.

Wander gazes one final time at the woman on the altar.

She is dressed in an angelic white dress. Her face, free of any blemishes, eyes resting and mind, somewhere beyond this world. And her skin was a pasty gray.

She was once a dark-haired beauty.

She had long been dead.

"I'll return," Wander promised, his voice became soft. "I'll come back to you when you arrive."

Turning to his horse, and with his back now to his precious love, Mono, he descended down the steps to begin his journey, which may just be the most challenging, and most terrifying experience of his entire life.


	2. Chapter 2: Warnings

**Warnings**

" _Raise thy sword by the light…_

 _and head to the place where the sword's light gathers..._

 _There, thou shalt find the colossi thou art to defeat_ _."_

* * *

The cool morning air whipped around Wander as Agro trotted south.

Unsheathing his sword, Wander held it up to the other-worldly sky. The fog, hovering thirty feet or so from the ground, acted as a thick blanket below the dark, ominous upper atmosphere. This remained only a rather subtle warning to the clever that no man should be trespassing within this forbidden land.

The dark lining of the sword glowed a bright blue, shimmering in the far away sunlight as a blue beam shot out. The beam reached the nearby cliffs ahead of them.

" _Yah_!" Wander gave Agro a gentle kick with his heel. She sped up to a quicker gallop.

The grass was thick and lush grass, growing in dense tussocks. The seldom oak trees provided sun-flecked shade, a refreshing respite from the cool wind, though the meadow lay peaceful in the thickening light of the day.

But all was too quiet.

Upon reaching the cliff, Wander hopped off Agro, giving her a quick pet. "Thank you, friend."

She neighed in a happy reply. Or maybe a parting cry of worry.

Up the weathered stone grew aged vines covered in dark green leaves. They blew softly in the breeze, rattling as leaves do.

Wander gripped on, and begun climbing.

There was absolutely no turning back now.


	3. Chapter 3: Courage of Heart

**Courage of Heart**

Upon reaching the top of the landing, Wander couldn't believe it. He didn't want to anyway.

He never heard something as terrifying as this, even in his worst nightmares.

But that was only because his brain always woke him up before such a horrific image covered his mind. And now he was hearing something his mind wouldn't ever be able to erase.

As the ground shook, the adrenalin flew over his veins like a carp through the river, but he couldn't move a single muscle, not even to scream. The absolute horror completely paralyzed him, and the more he thought about running away, or simply moving a bit, the more he felt discouraged and utterly terrified that the he would lock eyes with death.

He didn't remember being that scared in his life. And that was just the beginning. He would have to kill that creature.

That idea only made it worse. If that was even possible.

As the beast drew nearer, the ground shook harder and stronger. Wander fell to his knees. "What am I doing?" He mumbled to himself. "I _must_ turn back..."

" _Wan...der_ …" A soft voice spoke.

Wander's eyes lit up. "Mono?"

There was silence in his mind.

Silence and the earthly rattling on the monster's feet.

" _Mono_."

And that was all the encouragement he needed.

The fire returned to his eyes as he stepped forward.


	4. Chapter 4: A Minotaur Approaches

**A Minotaur Approaches**

The earthly trembling grew greater as Wander rounded the corner.

His heart nearly stopping as he laid eyes on his first opponent.

At towering over fifty feet tall, the colossi's fur swayed in the breeze, its stony armor rumbling and falling off his lower back as he stomped forward.

It was then that Wander realized the beast couldn't see him. He clutched his sword and whispered softly, to himself. "This is my chance."

Fearful, yet daring, Wander's grip on the stone loosened as he stared down the colossi from afar.

Wander broke into a ran, his heart pounding in his ears as his legs rushed closer to the beast.

Small white-tailed salamanders scurried to the walls, squeaking in terror as the beast began to turn.

Had the beast already noticed him?

His long, ash colored locks whip back and forth against his face as he flung himself onto a heavy tree trunk of a leg, quickly stabbing the back of his thigh.

Black blood gushed out as Wander made his first wound. As the creature wailed in pain, Wander grabbed onto his armor, heaving himself upward, closer to his next goal.


	5. Chapter 5: Swift Sword

**Swift Sword**

Wander knew there was a ledge around the monster's sides, otherwise he'd be falling. If he turned his head too far, he knew he could become unbalanced and the drop over the landing on his back, which is a couple of feet from the cold grass, which was higher than Wander would have ever wanted to be.

Already the adrenaline coursing unchecked through his entire body. His muscles became stronger with every climb upward and he was more awake than he had ever been before. But so was the colossi.

The Minotaur's fur became steadily easier to grab, since his back was covered in it. More groaning and wailing as Wander reached his head.

On top of the beast's head now, and without any hesitation, Wander tightly gripped onto the fur and plummeted his sword into the massive head of the colossi, onto a glowing glyph. The beast began swaying, and the earth began moving at an extraordinarily fast speed for a monster so large, as he tried to shake the climbing boy off.

But to no avail. Wander held on with a grip stronger than iron, holding on like his life depended on it, which it in fact, did.

Another stab wound in the head.

And another.

And a final blow.

Letting out a final wail, which rumbled the whole valley, the mountainous creature's body grew limp, and the earth rushed closer to Wander at an alarming speed as the beast fell. Crashing to the ground, the beast's irate crimson eyes faded into darkness from behind his stone mask.

He lay dead.


	6. Chapter 6: Dark Shadows

**Dark Shadows**

Tumbling off the beast's head, Wander remained unhurt.

Black tendrils spiraled out through the air, like smoky, charcoal, corrupted fairies.

Twisting, turning and covering the fallen beast's body, leaving behind in their path a deathly black ink.

Wander watched in awe as the tendrils continued their dance across the minotaur's body.

Until.

All of a sudden, they changed course, darting for him.

Scrambling to his feet, Wander dropped his sword in the process, and cried out, making a hasty dash back towards where he had left Agro on the other side of the stone wall.

 _"Agr-"_ But it was too late. He wouldn't make it to his horse. Before he could reach the wall, the tendrils had outran him, piercing Wander's body.

The strikes rendered him lifeless.

He fell to the ground.


	7. Chapter 7: A Doubtful Promise

**A Doubtful Promise**

Wander's eyes flickered open, almost automatically.

Groaning, he arose to his feet, and brushed off the newly formed dust on his short-sleeved shirt. It was colored in multiple shades of brown under his cloak.

Dormin's voice rang in his mind.

* * *

 _So thou art mortal…?_

A conglomerate number of souls eerily spoke up as a single mind.

While Agro neighed and frightfully danced on her hooves nearby, Wander spoke up, sheathing his sword. "Are you Dormin?" he asked. "I was told that in this ancient place, at the end of the world… That here exists a being that can control the souls of the dead?"

 _Thou art correct._ The voice boomed.

"This girl," Wander looked down at the woman in white. "She was sacrificed. She… had a cursed fate. Please, I need you to help bring back her soul. She is very important to me."

 _Souls that are lost cannot be reclaimed. Isn't that the law of your people? A law all mortals are explicitly supposed to follow?_

"It… Yes it… It is." Wander closed his eyes, bowing his head in grief.

 _And yet, here you are. Tempting fate._

Wander remained silent and Dormin went on.

 _But… With that sword you possess. This **may** not be impossible._


	8. Chapter 8: A Doubtful Promise (Part II)

**A Doubtful Promise (Part II)**

Wander's ocean eyes looked up hopefully. Almost joyfully. "Does that mean we can bring her back to life?"

 _At a cost._

 _A grave cost._ Dormin spoke slowly and carefully.

 _You_ _must destroy these idols_. _Not of course with your sword. But the reincarnations of these idols. Colossi scattered throughout this land. You must kill them, all sixteen. This, and only this will destroy these idols. And this girl_ 's _life_ _will be restored._

Without hesitation, Wander nodded. "I understand."

 _Very well_. Dormin agreed.

"I'll defeat any monster to see you. I'll do anything. Even if it costs me my own life…" He clenched his fists, and mumbled under his breath. "Even my life..."


	9. Chapter 9: Along the Beach

**Along the Beach**

 _"Thy next foe is..._

 _In the seaside cave..._

 _It moves slowly..._

 _Raise thy courage to defeat it."_

* * *

Upon raising the sword into the sunlight, the blue beam pointed directly north of the shrine.

Agro trotted up to Wander. "Let's go, girl." Wander straddled on Agro and gently nudged her forward with his foot as she broke into a gallop.

Agro trotted past the Shrine of Worship, which glowed in a shining silver and gold iridescence upon the stone.

The grassland was cut short as they arrived at a natural bridge, overlooking a beach. The gentle waves from below flowed smoothly and synchronized onto the sandy shore.

There was a grass covered path leading to the beach, sloping and curving onto the sand below.

"This is the right direction." Wander said. Agro continued down the path towards the beach.

The coastline was entirely barren. The grey rock beach lead up to multiple gigantic grey rock cliff faces. There was no vegetation to be seen, no sign of life. "We're definitely in the right place."

Agro left behind endless hoof prints in the sand as she slowed her gallop to a soft canter. Wander breathed in the poignant salty smell and closed his eyes for a moment.

That's when Wander noticed the shaking from behind a nearby sealed-off cave.


	10. Chapter 10: Quadratus by the Seaside

**Quadratus by the Seaside**

The ground shakes with each step and the creature's breathing is loud and rasping. He had, in fact awakened from a century long nap, possibly longer than that. The creature looks of a bull, with a broken left horn. A massive grill, almost acting as a muzzle around its mouth. Mushroom-looking platforms protrude along the surface of his sides and down his back. His gigantic ribcage and spine are popping out of his back, much to Wander's surprise.

He gasps involuntarily as the creature's motions stop and the beast turns towards him, giving him a quizzical look. And for just a mere moment, Wander hesitated to kill this colossi.

 _No._ He told himself. _For Mono_.

Fighting that urge, he reached behind him, and he grabbed his bow and arrow. Almost instantly, the creature's curious blue eyes became a flaring orange and he raised his front hooves in protest. His hooves were massive, at least ten times his own size, and as the creature raised his hind legs, glowing yellow glyphs appeared underneath.

Wander drew back his bow and steadied his breathing.

One chance to aim and hit.

Wander released his arrow and at lightning speed before his next breath, the arrow flying with the wind, and made perfect contact with its target. The creature bellowed deeply in pain as the arrow stuck to the bottom hoof, and he collapsed onto the sand.


	11. Chapter 11: The Mammoth

**The Mammoth**

The ground shook so violently as the creature fell to its knees that Wander almost fell over.

 _Keep moving._ Wander told himself. _If you stop to think, you're as good as dead. Think as you run._

Tucking his bow and arrows away, he unsheathed his dark sword, the metallic clang echoing through the air.

Wander made a quick leap for the creature's front arm, tightly gripping on and pulling himself up. Upon noticing his new location, the creature began to rise from the ground, groaning loudly in fear.

Wander continued climbing the creature's back, inching his way around its side. The next glyph was on its back.


	12. Chapter 12: The Dying Giant

**The Dying Giant**

Wander steadied his hand, gripping tightly onto the fur around the colossi's backside, and thrust the sword once on its weak point. The creature could only cry out.

Wander jumped from the back end to its bulging rib cage, hopping and climbing through the obstacle that they possessed, careful enough not to lose his balance and fall off the creature's back.

Finally reaching its head, Wander pierced his sword into the massive head of the bull. The creature bellowed in pain, swinging its head back and forth, hoping to shake Wander off.

Unfortunately for the beast, all it could do was wail, for its large size gave Wander's small, expeditious size an advantage over such a towering creature with many weak spots and a rather fine, but powerful sword at hand.

Another jab into the radiating blue glow of the glyph.

And another. Black blood began spilling from its head.

And another. The creature bellowed in pain, dropping to its knees.

And another. It was as if though the creature's cries were now its pleas of their lives flashing before their eyes, hoping Wander would stop.

But nothing mattered more than Mono. Not even a dying creature.


	13. Chapter 13: A Fateful Demise

**A Fateful Demise**

Wander started losing count until the creature's violent, yet slow swaying in pain ceased.

Instead, a loud, heart-wrenching cry of death, even to Wander rolled across the sandy beaches as the creature fell to the ground.

It was then that Wander wondered if all this creature wanted to do was live.

He tumbled off the creature and looked back up.

Small shots of sand shot up around the dead creature as black tendrils appeared, covering the body, as if to try and erase it's unfortunate demise from existence.

Wander stood up, brushing the sand from his pants. "What am I… doing?"

Wander watched as the last of the darkness overtook the beast, and when the tendrils had well-covered the body, the black ink, pierced Wander.

Less afraid this time, Wander accepted them.

Though, not without his anxious heart racing.


End file.
